Somewhat outdated, so some of the statistics and practices may be wrong, but it is still a fascinating read on account of what is described in terms of human behavior.

I am currently on page 79 of this book, and so far, I'm not liking it. As I started to read, I thought to myself, "I think this book is going to be like 'The Two Income Trap'--a book whose premises I agree with, but not their solutions." I was wrong. So far, the author has not talked one bit about the food part, but more about the industry. For pages, he covers the rise of Carl's Jr. and it's founder Carl Karcher, pointing out that he grew up without running water or electricity, but then seems disappointed that Karcher was okay with the changes in Anaheim CA from "progress." So far, the author seems anti-progress, pro-labor unions and nostalgic to a fault.

I'll admit, there is romanticism in thinking of days gone by, with family farms, rural communities, etc., but I think we live in a much better world today with nearly every American having running water, electricity, telephones, refrigerators and air conditioning.

He decries the marketing done to children, and while I admit that marketing to children is borderline evil, I worry that later he'll propose more government laws against it. Do you know what I did about it? I cancelled my cable/satellite... years ago. My children rarely watch commercials. Heck, they don't even go to public school where he complains that, now, fast food or other less-than-healthy food companies are advertising at schools to help school districts close budget gaps.

But what made me get up and write a review at this point in the book (to be added to when I finish the book) is his portrayal of the industry as anti-union. Frankly, I don't like unions myself (twice in my college career, I wrote research papers on the pros and cons of unions and their history/impact). I don't think that an industry that gives low-skilled workers the skills and experience to move into another (probably) better paying job needs to be unionized! Besides, the author himself on page 78 says, "Almost every fast food restaurant in Colorado Springs has a banner or sign that says 'Now Hiring.' The fast food chains have become victims of their own success, as one business after another tries to poach their teenage workers. Teenagers now sit behind the front desks at hotels, make calls for telemarketers, sell running shoes at mall. The low unemployment rate in Colorado Springs has made the task of finding inexpensive workers even more difficult." Well, look at that, other business are COMPETING to get those low-skilled, young, low-paid workers. The fast food chains are either going to have to improve working conditions, or pay more, or keep their high turnover rates as people use a McJob as a stepping stone to something better. Sounds like the free labor market is working just fine.

Okay, I've finished the book now, and I'm sticking with what I said above and my 1-star rating. It wasn't until the second to the last page that he finally said the obvious: "The first step toward meaningful change is by far the easiest: stop buying it." I think that more government is rarely the answer. The private sector already has the UL and the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for many products, so that consumers know that an independent company has tested the product and found it safe/trustworthy. Why can't an independent meat certification company rise up and stake its reputation on meat being clean/uncontaminated/etc. Why? Because whenever there is a problem, everyone runs to the government first. The USDA (and all the spread out agencies that are supposed to keep the food supply safe) suck because they are government run. The author basically calls for more rules and increased government efficiency. Sorry, that's an oxymoron. The meat for the fast food industry has improved (the author admits that) because they demanded it of their suppliers... McDonalds doesn't want it's customers getting sick... it ruins their reputations. As more consumers demand it, the same will happen for grocery stores. It just takes some time--more so if people keep looking toward the government to save them.

Oh, I should also say, that I expected to really like this book from the little I knew about it. I'm very into healthy eating (less processed foods, more whole foods, water instead of soda, more fruits and veggies, less meat), so I thought it would be right up my alley. I guess I was wrong.

Also, I think one major factor that led to the decline of the "family farm" way of life--which the author mentions in passing on one page of the entire book--is the estate tax (aka "death tax") that unduly harms those who make their living off of the land. After each generation, the tax would come due, but without liquid assets, the way to pay the tax is to sell some or all of the land in order to pay the tax. Not enacting the death tax in 1916 would have made a world of difference for the All American family farm.

Pink-grapefruit juice gets its color from puréed Peruvian bugs!! Gobsmacked.

“Cochineal extract (also known as carmine or carminic acid) is made from the desiccated bodies of female Dactylopius coccus Costa, a small insect harvested mainly in Peru and the Canary Islands. The bug feeds on red cactus berries, and color from the berries accumulates in the females and their unhatched larvae. The insects are collected, dried, and ground into a pigment. It takes about 70,000 of them to produce a pound of carmine, which is used to make processed foods look pink, red, or purple. Dannon strawberry yogurt gets its color from carmine, and so do many frozen fruit bars, candies, and fruit fillings, and Ocean Spray pink-grapefruit juice drink.”


This and other fascinating facts made many chapters unexpectedly fun to read. Great investigative journalism.

Worth it just for the enthusiastic and riveting section on french fries, and the incredible machine that makes them (part of it is like a fire hose that shoots potatoes instead of water, shoots them projectile style into razor sharp blades, cutting into fries....fascinating!) as well as the section on flavor and smell, and the scientists, volatile fluid chemists.

I did skim some bits or skip ... anything on animals has become too difficult for me.

But overall informative, at times mind boggling and reading was more fun, and less horrifying then I would have expected. (But I’ve read some pretty tense books on vegan ethics.)

Overall fairly fascinating read, must have info for all.


4 french fries.

This book is making me hungry.

Determined not to let an imposing wall of acronyms block my progress, I forged on, ignoring my growling stomach, (which stopped growling when I read There's shit in the meat) and ended up underlining half the book, adding exclamation marks, question marks, exploding stars, asterisks, and enraged notations in the margins: How can they live with themselves!! and Those satanic conservative Republicans!! and Those Republicans AGAIN!! and every now and then yelling indignant outbursts of OH!!

Read this book to find out the multiple interesting ways fast food causes suffering and death. And one final thought: The Shiga Toxins would make a good name for a band.

Although a little dated, this book takes a good look at the fast-food industry and what effect it has had on people's lives--starting with the history of how it all began.

Some of the issues that Schlosser is concerned with here are: good nutrition, food safety, animal welfare, worker rights and sustainable agriculture. What also is of concern is the Americanization of food around the world, bringing food of questionable nutrition and its accompanying health issues, such as obesity and heart disease.

#2016-aty-reading-challenge-week-47: a book with a type of food/drink in the title.

Oh wow, this was very interesting. I expected it to go more into why fast food is bad for people, but it's more about how fast food companies are building up their empires. This is a well researched book that presents the history of fast food in a non-boring way. It's easy to read and I feel the tone is non-condescending. Definately recommended!

Written on May 29, 2012:

I am glad that I had a large Pizza and a KFC burger at the Delhi airport before I started this book. Adios fatty fries, triple-decker domes and cheesy discs, you will be missed. Ignorance is indeed bliss sometimes.

Update: June 22, 2014

I am happy to report that I have largely stuck to this. Ever since reading this I have virtually avoided this sort of trash and must have eaten a maximum of a couple of burgers and pizzas in the last two years (and that too most reluctantly, when unavoidable). Thanks, Schlosser.

O livro dá uma boa esmiuçada na industria do fast food, desde a origem dos alimentos, até a produção e comercialização. Também trata das condições precárias dos trabalhadores, dos lobbys do setor e da forma imperialista como tem se alastrado pelo mundo. Apesar de alguns ítens não prenderem muito minha atenção, condiz com o que esperava da leitura.

There was this flash of memory about this book as I stood in line to buy a pizza of late. With the tight social distancing protocols in place, the outlet was deserted and the energy of the place was subdued. The teenager taking my order (as is the norm) told me about the offers for the day and then typed away at the keyboard. While he was getting the order ready was when a lot of things from this book sprang to my mind. Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation could most easily be called a book long argument against fast food chains. While he trains his guns against the major American chain restaurants : McDonald’s (specifically)and KFC (peripherally), the topic he tackles almost extensively is the Americanization of the fast food industry. It is not just the chains that he gives a critical view of but also what goes on behind the scene including meatpacking, manual labour, aesthetics of the food items too. The homogenization of this industry is achieved through a chain of activities almost all of which are highly exploitative in nature. It is these acts of exploitation that really make the case against fast food stronger. Schlosser calls out the below :

Advertising : The core consumers for fast food remain children and focused advertising campaigns are now the norm for the industry. In the decades since this book, advertising has become for subtle and yet incredibly intelligent in the way it entrenches the idea of fast food into the psyche of children. With the way the internet has now become a necessity, focused ads have now become more personalized. Schlosser talks about how this is an area that is extensively researched and was ruthlessly exploited for monetary gain. This is a bizarre way of catching them young whereby a whole generation of children become addicted to fast food and thereby to health risks.

Labor : The section on labor exploitation covers almost 65% of the overall narrative of the book and that makes sense since these chains thrive on a cheap and unskilled labor force. For a big chunk of teenagers the fast food chain is a spring board into finding their career options later in life but they are literally squeezed dry for the time that they work with these outlets. To unearth the bigger problem areas, Schlosser widens the scope of his investigation and looks not only at the outlets but also at almost all the associated aspects of what powers a fast food restaurant. The meatpacking and french fry industries rely heavily on an illegal immigrant population to keep their systems going is something that Schlosser uncovers. Being a very dangerous type of work, the conditions on the job are next to unbearable as it treats employees like a replaceable asset. A few of the case studies that Schlosser calls out are heart wrenching examples of how individuals who are past their healthy phase of being able to work are discarded unceremoniously.

Food Hygiene : One thing that I have always liked about the chain fast food restaurants is how quickly they can turn around an order. Personally I am a to-go person when it comes to fast food and this happens only when I am travelling. Having said this though, the descriptions of how some of the food items are prepared and what the dish could probably include was enough to make me gag. Since this is a US-centric book, it also calls out some of the worst food related illnesses that fast food has been a cause for in the US. What really pricked my conscience was in understanding how vehemently the chains and their suppliers denied any form of accountability and went great lengths to do so. I shall look at burgers warily for a while now !

The author really has an axe to grind against the Republicans and never fails to hide that. The GOP gets the second best flak in the book and that did make me question the unbiased nature of the narrative. In the afterword, Schlosser clarifies this and also calls out some of the transgressions from the Democrats too. That makes it only slightly even !

Recommended. It is a very incisive work that helps you understood what goes on behind the counter in fast food chain restaurant.

Excellent

The last sentence of the book (that I appreciate a lot) : 'Despite all evidence to the contrary, I remain optimistic'.

This was a fascinating in depth read about how the fast food industry developed and how it has literally changed the landscape of our country and the health of its inhabitants.

I've read several books on the evils of the food industry but this one goes into incredible detail about many of the things only glanced over in other books (the source of "natural flavors" was more than a little shocking) and takes a look at both sides of the story. It goes in depth into the history of the industry and taps into the emotional human side of things by outlining the little guys who started it all with high hopes and lots of determination.

The one story that I can't seem to get out of my head is that of the illegal immigrant who went to work at a slaughterhouse in order to make a better life for his family. After giving his all to the company including charred lungs, a broken back that never healed correctly and countless other broken bones and horrifying health ailments he continued to support the company because he believed in them. His commitment left him with a completely broken and useless body and he was then fired when he had nothing left to give. But the greedy, heartless wusses couldn't even dredge up the nerve to tell him personally. He realized he was no longer an employee when they stopped cashing his health insurance checks and he called to inquire as to the reason. Awful, just awful that this kind of thing is allowed to happen.

The afterward goes into detail about Mad Cow disease in relation to the fast food industry. I already know way too much about BSE as it's a minor obsession of mine but I'm very glad he included the updated information in this version for those unaware of the ongoing problem. Agri-industry still has a firm hold on how animals are cared for and are still practicing dangerous feeding habits that endanger not only the animals (the "food" animals and our pets) but the future well being of our society.

I haven't eaten beef since reading Mad Cowboy and this book. Read the book and make up your own mind. I doubt you'll come away from it unaffected.

Wow, so much information! I found this very readable yet also very disturbing - which is exactly what I believe Eric Schlosser meant to do. This was first published in 2001. The edition I read was published in 2002 and included a new afterword where Schlosser discussed some of the feedback and results from his book. I would love to read an edition updated to 2010. I'm sure much of what he discussed has changed in that amount of time.

My favorite part of the book was his section on the flavors, colors and smells of processed food provided by "natural flavor," "artificial flavor," and color additives. That section alone was worth reading the entire book - although it made me very suspicious of all sorts of food I eat and not just fast food! Schlosser says: "For the past 20 years, food processors have tried hard to use only "natural flavors" in their products. According to the FDA, these must be derived entirely from natural sources--from herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, yeast, bark, roots, etc. Consumers prefer to see natural flavors on a label, out of a belief that they are healthier. The distinction between artifical and natural flavors can be somewhat arbitrary and absurd, based more on how the flavor has been made than on what it actually contains."

Just a few other things I found interesting and/or disturbing:

"The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross."

"America's fast food restaurants are now more attractive to armed robbers than convenience stores, gas stations, or banks. Other retail businesses increasingly rely upon credit card transactions, but fast food restaurants still do almost all of their business in cash."

"For years, some of the most questionable ground beef in the United States was purchased by the USDA--and then distributed to school cafeterias throughout the country."

"Having played a central role in the creation of a meatpacking system that can spread bacterial contamination far and wide, the fast food chains are now able to avoid many of the worst consequences....The enormous buying power of the fast food giants has given them access to some of the cleanest ground beef. The meatpacking industry is now willing to perform the sort of rigorous testing for fast food chains that it refuses to do for the general public. Anyone who brings raw ground beef into his or her kitchen today must regard it as a potential biohazard..."

I'm sure I won't stop eating fast food altogether, but this book will certainly make me think about it first!